Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Dwayne Roloson made 41 saves and then stopped all three Blue Jacket shooters in the shootout as the Islanders beat Columbus 2-1 before 12,192 at the Coliseum. With the win, the Isles end the first-half of the 2009-2010 season with a record of 16-18-7. On to the trick:

1. The Islanders grabbed the lead midway through the first period as Josh Bailey nudged a puck over the goal line after a shot by Kyle Okposo got through Columbus netminder Steve Mason. It was Bailey's eighth goal of the season (a career high, as he had seven last year) and his first in 15 games.

2. The Isles protected the lead for nearly 40 minutes, but RJ Umburger, who has always been a thorn in the Islanders' side, tied the game at 9:47 of the third. It was Umburger's 9th goal in the last 20 games and his 10th in 24 career games against the Islanders. It was the first goal scored in the last eight periods of regulation time by the Blue Jackets, who won a 1-0 game in overtime on Monday night.

3. The Blue Jackets dominated the third period but the tied changed when Fredrik Modin was called for Delay of Game with 1:42 to play in regulation. While the Isles couldn't score on the power play, they did turn the play in their favor, and eventually outshot Columbus 5-2 in the overtime session. After the first four shooters (Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen for the Islanders; Kristain Huselius and Rick Nash for the Coyotes) were stopped, Rob Schremp converted for the only goal of the shootout. Roloson then stopped Fedor Tyutin to earn the second point for the Isles and hand the Blue Jackets their 12th straight road loss (0-8-4).

... a few more...

4. It was the second shootout goal in three attempts for Schremp, who has scored only one regulation goal in his first 26 NHL games. The shootout win raised the Isles record to 2-4 in shootouts and to 7-7 in games that have gone beyond 60 minutes.

5. For the fourth straight game, neither the Isles or their opponents scored on the power play. The Isles failed on four opportunities, all in the third period, including a 47 second 5-on-3 while the Blue Jackets were blanked on three attempts. In those four games, the Isles are 0-13 on the power play and 10-10 on the penalty kill. Over the last 10 games, the Isles are 2-38 on the power play, scoring on the 1st attempt (Schremp vs. Boston on December 11) and going 1-37 since. The Isles have not allowed a power play goal in any of their last nine wins, killing all 30 of the opposition power plays.

6. Roloson records his third straight win to raise his record to 14-7-5. In those three games, he's allowed only four goals on 107 goals. It's the third time this season that Roloson has had a winning streak of at least three games.

7. This game ends a stretch of ten consecutive games in the metro-NY area (eight at home, and two at Madison Square Garden). The Isles went 5-5-0 in the ten games, including 3-5-0 at the Coliseum. The Isles now have 39 points in 41 games; they had only 38 points in their first 55 games last season. With the win, the Isles move from a tie for 13th place to within one point of a playoff spot. Such is life in the NHL's Eastern Conference, where three points separates 8th place and 14th place.

8. Jeff Tambellini, playing for the first time in ten games, made a big impression early, finishing with two shots and five hits. He was averaging less than one hit per game prior to tonight. TIm Jackman had six hits for the Isles, who out-hit Columbus 34-24. Andy Sutton had four hits and five blocks for the Isles, while Andy Hillen also blocked five shots.

9. Mark Streit led all skater with 26:44 of ice-time while Tyutin led Columbus with 22:43 of ice-time and 5 blocked shots. Columbus won 26 of 49 face-offs; Schremp was by far the best Islander, winning 9-of-12.

10. The Islanders lead the season series 1-0; the teams will play again on March 27th in Columbus. The Isles have won the last three Coliseum meetings between the squads, but are still looking for their first-ever win at Nationwide Arena.

Up next: The Isles will ring out the old, as they end 2009 with a New Year's Eve game in Ottawa. The Isles have won their last four December 31 games, including a 4-2 win over Florida in a matinee last season. The Islanders have not been beaten on New Year's Eve since the final night of 1998, when Jocelyn Thibault and the Blackhawks blanked the Isles 1-0 in Chicago.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Matt Donovan has a first period assist, but then again so does just about everybody else.

US 6 - Latvia 0. end 1st.

Canada beat Latvia 16-0 early in the tourney. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Monday, December 28, 2009

If you think it's early, you're right...but the Isles will play the 41st game of their 82 game schedule on Tuesday night at the Coliseum.

It's only the 2nd time that the Isles will reach the season's midpoint before the turning of the New Year. In 1982-83, the Isles played game 40 on December 26 in Hartford, and game 41 on New Year's Eve in Buffalo. (That was an 80-game schedule)

This is the fourth time that the NHL has suspended their season to allow players to participate in the Olympics. Game 41 came in those seasons on January 2, 1998, January 6, 2002 and January 7, 2006..

The Isles played these 41 games in 88 days, which actually matches last season's pace. (The Isles opened on October 10th last sason and October 3rd this season) It's also the same pace that was used to play the first 41 games of the 1995 lockout season. The Isles have played their first 41 games in a faster pace only once -- 85 days in 1980-81.

This season will end earlier than any of the previous Olympic seasons, with the final regular season game being played on April 11th (April 18th in both 1998 and 2006, April 14th in 2002).

Finally, in the "this doesn't mean anything but it's kind of strange department", the Isles have closed the first half with a loss in each of the last four seasons.. and in 10 of the last 12..Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

When Jiggs calls the Isles-Thrashers' game on Saturday, he will broadcast a game in his sixth different decade. Jiggs debuted in the NHL in 1967, as the original voice of the Kings. He moved to Atlanta to become the first voice of the Flames in 1972 before joining the Islanders for the 1980-81 season.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982 (and yes, Jiggs was the man who made it possible). Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Jeff Carter's goal with 3:07 to play in the second period broke a 1-1 tie and the Flyers held on for a 2-1 victory over the Islanders. The win is the Flyers' 13th straight over the Islanders, which is the longest active streak for one team against another in the NHL. On to the trick:

1. The Flyers grabbed an early lead when Danny Briere scored less than two minutes into play. It was Briere's 13th goal of the season and his 11th goal in 27 career games against the Isles. Briere had a second goal waved off in the third period when it was determined that he had directed the puck into the goal with a distinct kicking motion.

2. Jon Sim tied the game with a goal early in the second period, off a great (and barely legal) pass by Mark Streit. Streit's pass was ruled to be below the shoulder; video replays were inconclusive. It was Sim's 4th goal of the season.

3. Carter's winning goal was his 14th of the season. Three of the fourteen have come against the Islanders. Scott Hartnell, who was held without a goal for the 12th straight game, assissted on both Flyer goals.

...a few more...

4. Michael Leighton evened his record at 4-4-0 as he made 28 saves. Marty Biron also made 28 saves, but lost his 6th straight start, dropping his record to 2-11-2. The Isles have scored only seven goals in those six games. However, neither goal that Biron allowed in this game appeared to be "good goals".

5. Each team failed on their only two power play attempts. The Isles have now killed seven straight over the last three games after allowing 18 pp goals in their previous 40 times shorthanded. The power play is now a dreadful 1- last 33, covering eight games and part of a ninth. This game ends a stretch of 16 games in which the Isles had won all seven games that they have not allowed a power play goal and lost all nine games that they had allowed at least one power play tally.

6. Eleven of the Islanders' 29 shots came from the defense. However, the Isles have had only one goal scored by a defensemen since November 13 (Andrew MacDonald scored against the Rangers on December 17th).

7. It's the sixth straight time that the Isles have lost the back-end of two games in two nights, including five straight in regulation. The Isles have also lost their last six straight games that followed a win at Madison Square Garden; they are 7-24-10 all-time in games following MSG victories.

8. The Islanders out-hit the Flyers 29-20, led by eight hits by Trent Hunter and six hits (in just 6:28 of ice-time) by Tim Jackman. The Flyers won 31 of the 54 face-offs.

9. The Isles have scored four goals just once in the last 16 games after scoring four in eight of the first 24 games (not including an awarded 4th goal in a shootout victory).

10. The Flyers lead the season series 3 games to 0 (and 6 points-0). The teams next meet on January 30th in Philadelphia. The Flyers are the first team to ever win 13 consecutive games from the Islanders. However, the Islanders have three longer winless streaks against other opponents: -- 22 games against Washington (0-19-3) between 1997 and 2002 -- 17 games against Buffalo (0-12-5) in the first 17 games between the teams -- 17 games against Ottawa (0-11-6, including an OT loss) between 1996 and 2000.

Up next: The struggling Columbus Blue Jackets visit Long Island on Tuesday nights. It's only the 5th ever visit by the Blue Jackets, with each team winning twice, including the Isles' 4-3 overtime win last November 3rd on a Chris Campoli goal. The Isles have never won in Columbus -- a streak that they will try to end on March 27th. The reeling Blue Jackets are 1-9-3 in December; they'll host Detroit on Monday before heading to Long Island. Columbus has lost nine straight (0-7-2) and has scored only eight goals in their last six games (0-5-1). Columbus has an 11-game winless streak on the road and they have lost 17 of their last 19 overall. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Kyle Okposo scored the winning goal with 47 seconds to play in overtime to give the Islanders a 3-2 win at Madison Square Garden. It's the Islanders' second straight win at MSG and their third in four games against the rival Rangers this season. On to the trick:

1. The Isles grabbed a 2-0 lead as Frans Nielsen scored 7:45 into the first period and Blake Comeau scored shorthanded at 14:21 of the second period. It was the first shorthanded goal of Comeau's career and his third in the last six games.

2. for the third time in the last two seasons, the Isles carried a shutout into the third period at the Garden but couldn't closed the door for their first shutout at MSG since 1975. The Rangers got the game even with a pair of third period goals by Brandon Dubinsly. Both goals were scored following the conclusion of Ranger power plays. The second goal, with 47 seconds left in regulation, came with Henrik Lundqvist on the bench for a sixth attacker. It was the second two-goal game of the season for Dubinsky and ensured the Rangers of their first point when trailing after two periods this season (0-13-1).

3. Okposo, who had assisted on both regulation goals, scored for the first time since scoring against Florida on November 14. The goal ended a career-long 18-game goal-less streak, and gave him the first three-point game of his career. The win gave the Isles their second winning streak of the season -- they won four straight from October 28-November 2. The Isles improve to 6-7 in overtime games, but are 5-3 in games decided by an overtime goal (1-4 in shootouts). The Isles have won three straight overtime games, and are 5-2 since opening the season with four losses in their first five overtime games. The Isles have scored four of their five overtime goals on the road; that ties the club record for road overtime goals, set in 1985-86:12-Oct-85 @ Los Angeles 5 4 Wot 24-Nov-85 @ New York 4 3 Wot 31-Dec-85 @ Detroit 5 4 Wot 2-Feb-86 @ New Jersey 3 2 Wot

...a few more...

4. Okposo is the fifth Islander to score three overtime goals. Pierre Turegon has four, while Trent Hunter, Oleg Kvasha, and Roman Hamrlik also have three.

5. Okposo, who beat Carolina in overtime last month, is the first Islander since Jason Blake to score two overtime goals in one season (12/31/02 in Buffalo and 3/1/03 vs Buffalo) and the first since Pierre Turgeon to score two road overtime goals in one season (10/10/93 at Anaheim and 11/21/93 at Philadelphia).

6. The Rangers outshot the Isles 38-22, including 33-17 after the first period. Dwayne Roloson, who has started eight of the last nine games, made 36 saves, while Henrik Lundqvist, who was making his 12th straight start, finished with 19 saves for the Rangers.

7. It was a night to remember for three Islander defensemen. Mark Streit was on-ice for all three Islander goals, and finished +3, including an assist on the winner. Streit also finished with three blocks. Andy Sutton and Jack Hillen saw season high ice-time (27:35 and 28:36respectively). Sutton finished with six hits and six blocks while Hillen also had six blocks.

8. In the strange but true category -- this was the first time the Isles have ever played a Saturday night game at Madison Square Garden. They had played only one previous Saturday game at MSG, in 2002, but that game was a 1:00 start.

9. The Islanders are 7-9-0 in their last sixteen games. In their seven wins, the penalty kill has killed all 23 opposition power plays; In the nine losses, they have killed only 15 of 34 for an almost inconceivable 44% penalty kill percentage. The Isles have allowed at least one power play goal in 16 of their 17 regulation losses and have not allowed a pp goal in 12 of their 15 wins.

10. The Islanders lead the season series three games to one, and six points to three.. The Isles failed to get even a shot on their three power plays; they are 1-42 in their last fourteen games against the Rangers (and 1-last 31 overall).

Up next: The Islanders have a quick turnaround as they host Philadelphia at 5:00 on Sunday. The Flyers have dominated play between the teams in recent seasons, with the Isles managing only three loser's points in the last twelve meetings.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Thursday, December 24, 2009

George Michael, who served as an Islander color commentator in the pre-Cup era, lost his battle with cancer early today. He was 70 years old.

Michael was paried with Tim Ryan on Channel 9 telecasts for several seasons in the mid-late 70's while he was also a DJ at WABC. Michael moved to Washington, and became a huge hit nationally with the "George Michael Sports Machine" as well as a very popular sportscaster in the DC area.

WRC television in Washington released the following statement about Michael:"George Michael was our friend and colleague for more than 25 years. He was a dynamic force around our newsroom and in the entire Washington area.

George was a pioneer in sports broadcasting. He was a gifted interviewer, a master storyteller, and one of the hardest working journalists out there.

Our hearts go out to his wife Pat and his daughter Michelle, both of whom also worked with us for many years, as well as the rest of his family. ‬"

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

A new deal to give the New York Islanders control of the Nassau Coliseum could help end a long-standing roadblock to renovating the arena and building the Lighthouse Project.

The Islanders and SMG, the Coliseum's manager, have agreed to a sublease that would hand control of the arena and its revenue to the team. Outgoing County Executive Thomas Suozzi approved it this week.

But Mangano, a Republican from Bethpage, slammed the sublease agreement Wednesday, calling it an "11th-hour move by a lame duck administration."

In a statement, Mangano said, "The new sublease may be good, it may be bad - but the new administration should be making this determination.""Pushing this through on Christmas Eve is just the wrong thing to do," he added.

Reached last night, Suozzi said: "This is good for the county. It will encourage the Islanders to stay. I gave the legislature and Mangano notice of my intention . . . If someone had objected, based on the merits, I would have been happy to listen to it."

For years, the SMG contract has been a major stumbling block to developing the Coliseum and surrounding property. Nassau entered into a 30-year lease agreement with SMG of Philadelphia in 1979 and later extended it to 2015.

County officials and developers have said the lease agreement, which requires Nassau to maintain the building, allows SMG to keep the bulk of revenue from concession stands, parking, luxury boxes, and management rights to any facility built on the 70 acres around the Coliseum.

Because of the deteriorating conditions at the Coliseum and the SMG lease, Wang has complained that he loses $20 million to $30 million every year.

Suozzi wrote that the decision to approve the sublease was his. "While my consent is solely within my discretion and not subject to legislative approval, I wanted to give you notice, so that I may be aware of any concerns you may have," Suozzi wrote.

The sublease agreement, which names the New York Islanders hockey team and the Lighthouse Development Group as tenants, states that the two want to gain operating control of the Coliseum in order to "improve the marketing of the Islanders and as a condition to proceeding with such renovation and redevelopment plans."

According to the agreement, the deal "does not constitute the County's consent to or approval of any change in control or relocation of the Islanders.">> Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Trent Hunter and John Tavares scored goals 90 seconds apart in the second period, and the Islanders made it hold up in the third for a 3-1 victory over Toronto. On to the trick:

1. Following a scoreless first period, the Isles took command in the second period as Hunter tallied for the second straight game, just three seconds after an Islander power play expired.. It was the second goal in as many games for Hunter. Tavares then scored off a beautiful pass form Blake Comeau. It was his first goal since scoring five consecutive Islander goals between December 3rd and December9th.

2. After managing only eight shots on goal in the first 35 minutes, the Leafs picked up their play late in the second period and early in the third. Niklas Hagman scored Toronto's only goal to cut the Islanders' advantage in half early in the third period.

3. The Leafs pressed for, but could not find the equalizer. Comeau was awarded an empty-net goal with 35 seconds to play when he was pulled down from behind to provide the final margin of victory. It was Comeau's second goal in the last four games and the first time that the Isles had scored three goals in regulation since December 3rd.

...a few more...

4. Special teams didn't win this game for the Islanders, but contrary to recent games, they didn't lose it for them either. In a game featuring the League's worst two penalty killing teams, the Isles went 0-4 on the power play, but did get their first goal just after a power play ended. The Isles killed both Leaf power plays, which after allowing 8 pp goals in their last three games (all losses), certainly was a nice change.

5. The Islanders are 6-9-0 in their last fifteen games. In their six wins, the penalty kill has killed all 20 opposition power plays; In the nine losses, they have killed only 15 of 34 for an almost inconceivable 44% penalty kill percentage. The Isles have allowed at least one power play goal in 16 of their 17 regulation losses and have not allowed a pp goal in 11 of their 14 wins.

6. Dwayne Roloson made 26 saves to pick up the win. He has stopped 122 of 129 Leafs shots this season, in beating the Leafs twice in three tries. Jonas Gustavsson finished with 19 saves for Toronto. The Isles have earned 12 of their 14 wins and 29 of their 35 points with Roloson in goal.

7. Andy Sutton had a particularly strong game on defense, leading both teams with six hits and seven blocks. The Isles blocked more shots (29) that the Leafs actually got to the net (27).

8. Despite his recent scoring drought, Tavares still leads all rookies in goals (16) and points (28). He has three goals in three career games against the Leafs.

9. Phil Kessel, who has keyed Toronto's improved play of late, had three shots on goal but finished -2.

10. The Isles lead the season series two games to one, and four points to three. The teams will conclude the season series at the Coliseum on March 14th. The Isles are now 8-1-2 in their last 11 home games against Toronto. The Isles improve to 6-3-1 in their last ten games on December 23rd. They have earned 28 points on December 23rd's, which is the third highest total for any calendar day (33 on December 17 and 30 on December 26).

Up next: The Islanders travel to Madison Square Garden Saturday to meet the Rangers for the third time in ten days. The Islanders lead the season series two games to one after splitting a home-and-home series last week. The Isles won at the Garden last Wednesday night but since then the Rangers have won four straight. The Isle have won on Boxing Day in each of the last three seasons and are 10-2-2 in their last fourteen December 26th games.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Congrats to Islander prospect Matt Donovan. Donovan was selected for Team USA at the upcoming World Jr Hockey Tournament. Donovan was a 4th round pick of the Isles in 2008 and is a Freshman at the University of Denver. Donovan will turn 20 this spring.

Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.

Every once in a while, you end up hearing about a top freshman player in the college game. It's tough for the highly-touted to meet expectations. For Denver freshman defenseman Matt Donovan (NHL rights: N.Y. Islanders), it's clear that he is well on his way to surpassing the high expectations he brought with him to college.

The fourth-round pick from 2008 hails from Edmond, Okla., hardly a hotbed of hockey talent. Donovan played two seasons with Cedar Rapids (Iowa) of the United States Hockey League, and also has international experience with Team USA.

He played in 17 of Denver's 18 games over the first half of the season, scoring twice and adding seven assists. Those nine points rank him second overall among Denver's defensemen, and he is the highest-scoring freshman on the team so far.

His stock is only going to rise as he moves forward. Donovan was one of 11 defensemen on the preliminary roster for Team USA's entry in the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championships, which begin Dec. 26 in Saskatchewan.

If his play this past weekend during a series against Minnesota Duluth is any indication, one has to like his chances of making the final cut.

Donovan was a huge factor in Denver's weekend split against UMD, collecting two assists and rating as a plus-two. He moves the puck well, with a great first pass, and he has very good poise in his own zone. Donovan isn't terribly big, and he could use a bit more speed, but he has all the intangibles of a top offensive defenseman.

Already, his poise, vision, and passing skill make him a tough guy to forecheck. He'll only be more dangerous when he improves his skating.

Moving forward, Donovan has a great chance to play some high-level international hockey. The World Juniors are about as big as it gets for non-professional international events. Even if he doesn't make the team, Donovan should return to Denver a better player for the experience of trying out..

If he keeps getting better, Donovan will eventually have a chance to make an impact with the Islanders, a young team that is only going to improve as the young prospects develop.>>

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Monday, December 21, 2009

Ryan Malone played with Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh; he plays with Steven Stamkos in Tampa. If he only faced the Islanders, he might make the Hall of Fame before either of them. On to the trick:

1. Malone assisted on Tampa Bay tying goals in both the first and second periods, before scoring twice himself in the third period. Malone, who recorded his fourth 4-point game of his career, has 17 goals and 7 assists in 31 career games against the Isles.

2. Trent Hunter had given the Islanders a 1-0 lead with a power play tally in the first period. The goal broke an 0-19 streak for the Islander power play. It was his 93rd career goal as an Islander, establishing him as one of the Top 30 goal scorers in Islander history, tying Garry Howatt and Greg Gilbert for 28th place on the all-time list. Nate Thompson had the other Islander goal; it was his first in 62 games and his first-goal ever at the Coliseum.

3. Steven Stamkos and Vinny Lecavalier both scored in the second period for Tampa, with Lecavalier's goal coming with 19 seconds left in the middle session. Stamkos and Malone have combined for 39 goals this season; among teammates, only San Jose's Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau (42) have combined for more.

... a few more...

4. The penalty kill continues to be a huge problem for the Islanders. They've allowed eight goals in fifteen times short over their last three games, all losses. The Islanders have allowed 18 power play goals in 40 attempts (55% penalty kill) in their last 11 games after allowing only 18 on 102 attempts (82.4% penalty kill) in their first 26 games. The results show up in their record as well: 10-9-7 in the first 26 and 3-8-0 in the last 11.

5. Mike Smith, who shut the Islanders out earlier this month, made 36 saves. He's 2-0-0 vs. the Isles and 4-9-5 vs. the rest of the league. Dwayne Roloson suffered his third straight home loss, making 24 saves.

6. The game featured ten power play plays -- four of them (two for each team) came on Delay of Game penalties for shooting the puck over the glass from the defensive zone.

7.. Alex Tanguay earned an assist on the Lecavalier goal. It was his 600th NHL point.

8. After going through a four-game stretch in which all of their goals were scored by either John Tavares or Matt Moulson, the last ten Islander goals have been scored by nine different players. Unfortunately, it's taken six games for the Isles to score those ten goals. The Isles have been outscored 42-19 in their last eleven games.

9. The Isles have lost four straight at home (all in regulation). They have been outscored 19-5 in those four games.

10. Tampa, who broke a four-game Coliseum losing streak, now leads the season series two games to none, and four points to zero. The teams will play twice in a ten-day span just beofre the Olympic break in February.

Up next: The Isles look to salvage the final game of the homestand when the Maple Leafs visit on Wednesday. The teams split two games in Toronto earlier in the season, with the Islanders' win coming in overtime. The Isles have dominated the Leafs on Long Island in recent years, going 7-1-2 against Toronto since the 2003-2004 season. It's the tenth time in the last 14 seasons that the Isles have hosted a game on December 23rd; they're 5-3-1 in the last 9. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Isles were menioned in the final 15 seconds of Hotstove last night, with Elliotte Friedman reporting:

"lot of rumblings that Charles Wang has finally had enough. The NHL denies it- says they don't know of Wang talking to anybody about them selling the team but the rumblings are that he's finally had enough and he's got some interest."

Milbury chipped in that the October 3rd deadline has come and gone. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Jaroslav Halak wants to be a number one goalie. The Islanders would tell you that he already is. Halak made 40 saves as the Canadiens blanked the Islanders in a blizzard at the Coliseum for Halak's third victory of the season over the Isles. On to the trick:

1. Andrei Markov played for the first time since being injured on Opening Night, and one night before his 31st birthday, scored power play goals in both the first and second period. It was the fourth two-goal game of his career; Markov has never had an NHL hat trick.

2. Glen Metropolit also scored on the power play, with six minutes to play, for the final margin of 3-0. It was the eighth goal of thed season for Metropolit, who has never scored more than twelve goals in an NHL season.

3. Halak has allowed only three goals in 182 minutes against the Isles this season (0.99 GAA). He is now 3-0-0 vs.. the Isles and 3-5-0 vs. the rest of the NHL this season. Halak improves to 5-1-0 in his career against the Isles; he's allowed only seven goals in the six games.

...a few more..

4. The shutout was the fifth of Halak's career and second against the Isles. He blanked them by the same 3-0 score on March 15, 2008 in Montreal. It's the first time that the Canadiens have shutout the Islanders at the Coliseum since Jose Theodore punctuated his shutout by scoring an empty net goal on January 2, 2001.

5. Special teams have become a huge problem for the Islanders in recent games. They went 0-6 on the power play and are 0-17 in their last four games. The penalty kill is even worse. Over the last ten games, the Isles have allowed 16 power play goals in 36 times short -- which is a penalty kill percentage of only 55.6%. They have allowed at least two power play goals six times in that stretch (including three times that they have allowed three power play goals).

6. As their offense has turned anemic, the penalty kill issues have been magnified. In their last eight games, the Isles have scored a total of twelve goals, while they have allowed sixteen goals just to the opponent's power play. The twelve goals marks the fewest that the Isles have scored in an eight-game span since also scoring 12 over an eight-game span in November/December 2007. They haven't scored fewer over an eight-game span since scoring 11 over an eight-game span in November/December, 2003. Ironically, those eight games preceeded the Isles' last home blizzard game (a 5-2 win over Chicago on December 6, 2003).

7. The Isles, who opened the season 7-3-2 in their first twelve home games, have now lost three straight at the Coliseum and have been outscored 15-3. It's the first time that they have been outscored by at least 12 goals over three home games sicne March 1-6, 2001 when they lost 6-0 to Tampa Bay (costimg Butch Goring his job), 5-1 to Washington and 4-1 to Minnesota.

8. Rob Schremp had a strong game for the Isles, winning 7-of-9 draws and being one of four Isles with at least four shots. Every Islander had at least one shot on goal in the game. Tomas Plekanec had a strange game statistically. He assisted on both of Markov's goal and won 16-of-25 face-offs, however he had a "natural hat trick" of penalties as he was sent to the sin bin for three separate second period infractions.

9. Martin Biron continues to get no support from his teammates. Entering play tonight, he had received the next-to-lowest goal support of the 47 goalies who had played at least one-third of their team's games. Biron made 25 saves, but suffered his fifth straight defeat. Marty, who has had only one losing season in his NHL career (17-28-6 in 2003-04) is now 2-10-2 on the season.

10. Montreal leads the season series three games to none, and six points to one. The season series concludes on April 6 at the Coliseum. Montreal has won five straight on Long Island, equalling their longest-ever streak at the Coliseum. Montreal has won four straight overall from the Isles and 10-of-12, with the Isles earning one loser point (2-9-1).

Up next: The Isles are 0-2-0 on this homestand, which continues on Monday against Tampa Bay. Tampa blanked the Isles earlier this month, but the home team has dominated this series in recent years.. The Isles have won four straight from Tampa on Long Island, even though they don't own a regulation win in Tampa since before the lockout.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Before 3,863 at the Coliseum, the Isles turned the 2003-04 season around with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks in a game played in a blizard. The win ended a 7-game losing streak and jumpstarted the Isles' season:

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves and the Rangers got a career night from Ryan Callahan as they earned a split of the home-and-home series with a 5-2 win at the Coliseum. On to the trick:

1. Lundqvist was the story for most of the first two periods. The Islanders had ten shots before the Rangers had one, yet the Rangers got goals from Callahan and from Chris Drury to take a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes. Drury's goal was the Rangers' first in a 5-on-5 situation in 250:46 and his first goal in 20 games.

2. The teams traded goals in the middle period as Callahan's second goal, in the opening minute of the period, was matched by Andrew MacDonald's first career goal just before the midway point. MacDonald's goal came in a 4-on-4; the Isles have outscored opponents 7-3 in such situations this season. However, that was as close as the Isles would get.

3. Marian Gaborik scored on a 5-on-3 early in the third period and Artem Anisimov tacked on his first goal in eleven games to make it 5-1, before Frans Nielsen scored with 4:46 to play for the final margin.

...a few more...

4. Lundqvist improved to 15-8-4 against the Isles as he won his 155th career game. Callahan finished with two goals and two assists. It's the first time in his career he's had three points in a game, let alone four. Gaborik, who extended his league lead in goals (24) and power play goals (12), finished with three points for his 14th multi-point game of the season.

5. The five goals scored by the Rangers equaled their total over the last three games. It's the first time that the Rangers have scored five goals since tallying seven on November 23rd against Columbus. It's also the first time that they've scored five goals on the road this season.

6. John Tavares had a frustrating night, although he did have four shots on goal. Tavares had three shots blocked by Rangers, and missed the net three other time. He also lost 9-of-13 face-offs and was charged with three giveaways.

7. The Isles suffered their second straight home loss; they've been outscored 12-3 in those two games. Dwayne Roloson made 17 saves, as the Isles fell to 2-5-0 in their last seven. They've been outscored 28-12 in those seven games.

8. Kyle Okposo led the Isles with six shots, but was held off the board for the fifteenth straight game. Nate Thompson had the game's most embarrassing moment , when he missed a wide open net with Lundqvist out by the outside edge of the face-off circle.

9. Special teams were a big part of the story. The Rangers went 3-6 with the extra man, while the Isles had 14 pp shots, but failed to score in seven power play attempts. The Isles have allowed 11 power play goals in their last 26 times short , covering seven games while the Isles power play is 1-13 over the last four contests.

10. The teams split the home-and-home, leaving the Isles with a 2-games-to-1 lead in the season series, which continues on Boxing Day (December 26th) at Madison Square Garden. The loss deprived the Islanders of a 101st victory all-time against the Rangers; they had won #100 on Wednesday. This was the 23rd time that the Isles had played consecutive games against the Rangers; they've swept only twice.

Up next: Game two of the four-game homestand is Satuday as the Isles host the struggling Canadiens. Montreal has lost five straight but they have beaten the Isles twice this season (once in overtime) and are 9-0-2 against the Isles in their last 11 meetings, including four straight Coliseum wins; the Isles beat the Habs twice in Montreal last season -- once in overtime and once in a shooutout.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

The Islanders gots a solid all around effort as they defeated the Rangers 2-1 at the Garden on Wednesday night. On to the trick:

1. Jon Sim got the only goal of the first 56 minutes when he converted a pass from Jack Hillen midway through the first period to give the Isles the lead. It was Sim's first goal in twelve games.

2. Blake Comeau scored an insurance goal with 3:10 to play when he converted a rebound of a Matt Moulson slapshot. It was Comeau's first goal since November 7th, and ended a 7-game goalless streak.

3. Comeau's "insurance" would be cashed in, as it would eventually become the winning goal. Enver Lisin scored with an extra attacker with 55 seconds to play to bring the Rangers within one -- but they couldn't get the equalizer. It was Lisin's first goal since October 25th; it will go into the books as an even strength goal -- the first one scored by the Rangers in their last 231:55. The Rangers have not been shutout this season, but were held to one goal for the eighth time.

....a few more...

4. It was a strong night for the Islander defense. The Isles blocked 28 shots in the game. Jack Hillen and Andy Sutton led the way, each blocking five shots.

5. Marian Gaborik played 26:51, and had six shots on goal. However, he had four shots blocked and missed the net four other times. Eight Rangers played at least 21:57, while only two Islanders (Mark Streit and Jack Hillen) played that long. Every Islander played at least 11:20; six Rangers however, played 9:16 or less.. It will be interesting to see if this affects the Rangers, when both teams play their third game in four nights on Thursday. Josh Bailey played over 14 minutes for the Isles, and recorded three shots on goal, ending a seven game streak in which he was held without a single shot.

6. Dwayne Roloson recorded 25 saves as he beat the Rangers for the second time this season; Henrik Lundqvist had 25 saves for the Rangers. Roloson came within 55 seconds of becoming only the second goaltender in Islander history to shutout the Rangers at the Garden; Billy Smith did so on December 17, 1975.

7. The Rangers were held to two goals or less for the seventh straight games as they dropped to 1-6-2 in their last nine overall. The Rangers, who were 8-3-1 when they faced the Isles on October 28, are 6-13-2 in their last 21 games.

8. Neither team could get much going with special teams as each squad failed on two powerplays. That was somewhat of a relief for the Islanders' penalty-killing, who had been scored upon eight times in their previous 18 times short.

9. The win was only the second for Scott Gordon in a division road game since he became the Islander coach, and it broke a 12-game losing streak in road divisional games. Both of Gordon's road wins in division game have come at Madison Square Garden, where he is now 2-2. The Isles, under Gordon, are 0-5-0 in New Jersey, 0-3-1 in Philadelphia and 0-3-0 in Pittsburgh.

10. The Isles lead the season series two games to none (and four points to none). It's the first time since 2007 that the Isles have won consecutive games against the Rangers.

Up next: The Isles look to sweep a home-and-home from the Rangers for only the third time in their history when they entertain the Rangers at the Coliseum on Thursday. The Isles swept the home in home on November 21/22, 1981 (4-3 and 7-2) and on October 19/20, 2005 (3-2 in a shootout, and 5-4). The Isles will be looking for only their second winning streak of the season; they won four straight from late October to early November. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot..com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Nathan Horton recorded his second career hat trick as the Florida Panthers pounded the Isles 7-1 on Monday night. On to the trick:

1. The Islanders were generous hosts, with giveaways galore, but were in the game through two periods, trailing just 3-1. Michal Repik scored the only goal in the first period, and Horton sandwiched a Jesse Joensuu goal in the second.. It was Joensuu's first NHL goal this season, and the second of his career. Trent Hunter and Rob Schremp drew the assists; it was Hunter's first point in five games while Schremp extended his point streak to three games.

2. The game fell apart for the Islanders in the first minute of the third period as Steven Weiss and Kamil Kreps scored in the first 55 seconds to chase Dwayne Roloson, who suffered his first Coliseum loss, to the bench. Roloson finished with eighteen saves.

3. Marty Biron fared no better, allowing two goals on three shots in the final 19:05. Both goals, by Radek Dvorak and by Horton, were scored on the power play -- the only two opportunities all night for the Panthers. It was the first time the Panthers had scored two power play goals in a road game all season. Horton's hat trick was the second of his career; he recorded one against Nashville in 2005 and was the first socred by Florida agaisnt the Islanders since Pavel Bure did so in March, 2001.

..a few more...

4.. Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves to record his first victory in five starts since being injured by teammate Keith Ballard's stick two weeks ago.

5.. Josh Bailey played in his 100th NHL game, but failed to record a shot for the seventh straight game. Andy Sutton returned after missing six games, while Jack Hillen got back in the lineup after being injured early in Saturday's OT win over Boston.

6. Florida had four players with at least two points: Horton (3-1-4), Weiss (1-1-2), Repik (1-1-2) and Michael Frolik (0-2-2).

7. Nine Panthers were +2 while Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo were each -3. The Islanders did out-hit Florida 35-14.

8. It was the Isles' worst home loss since being beaten by Buffalo by the same score on Columbus Day, 2008. It also was their worst loss ever to the Panthers and the first time that they had ever allowed seven goals at home to Florida.

9. The Isles have now gone 19 games without winning consecutive games; they have only one winning streak this season --winning four consecutive games from October 28-November 2.

10. The Panthers lead the season series 2 games to 0, and 4 points to 1. Florida has won 9 of the last 11 vs. the Isles with New York holidng two loser points (2-7-2) in that stretch. The season series continues January 21st at the Coliseum and concludes in Florida ten days later.

Up next: The Isles and Rangers begin a home-and-home on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. The Isles lead the season series 1-0, having defeated the Rangers 3-1 in October at the Coliseum. Islander coach Scott Gordon owns only one career road win against an Atlantic Division opponent: it came on November 4, 2008 at the Garden. The Isles are 1-13-1 in division road games under Gordon, and have lost 12 straight (all in regulation time). Its' the first home-home series between the squads since the Isles closed the Ted Nolan era by splitting two game with the Rangers in April, 2008 (with the Islander win coming in a shootout).Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Frans Nielsen's mother had never seen him play an NHL game. Saturday night, not only did she get to see him play, she got to see him play hero. Nielsen's overtime goal gave the Isles a 3-2 win over the Bruins. On to the trick:

1. John Tavares had been the only Islander to score in the last three games, but it was Rob Schremp who gave the Isles the early lead with a power play tally. It was the fifth consecutive Islander goal that was scored on the power play, and the first goal for Schremp in the NHL.

2. Michael Ryder tied the game for Bsotn before the first period was over, and when David Krejci scored midway through the second the Bruins has a 2-1 lead.

3. Matt Moulson tied the game with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the middle session. It was Moulson's 15th goal of the season, tying Tavares for the club lead. Moulson's goal was the tenth that the Isles had scored in the last five games -- Moulson and Tavares combining for nine of them.

...a few more...

4. After a scoreless third period, Nielsen wasted little time in overtime, scoring just 24 seconds in, to give the Isles the win. It was the Isles' earleist overtime goal since Tom Poti scored 23 seconds into overtime to beat Carolina on October 21, 2006. (For the statistically-obsessed, this is the 3rd time that the Isles have won a game exactly 24 seconds into overtime -- Pierre Turgeon won a game in 1993 and Bob Bourne scored the first regular season OT goal in moden NHL history in 1984.)

5. Dwayne Roloson made 17 saves in the third period alone, and 30 on the game to pick up the win. Tim Thomas faced only 19 shots, stopping 16. Roloson, who attended UMass-Lowell, improves to 5-2-1 in his career against the Bruins. It was Roloson's tenth win of the season, marking the eighth straight season (and ninth time in his career) that he has reached double digits in win.

6. The Isles played most of the game with only five defensemen, following a first period injury to Jack Hillen. Mark Streit played 29:08 to lead all players while Freddy Meyer and Bruno Gervais both played over 24 minutes. While Streit and Gervais has higher ice-time totals in previous games this season, it was the first time Meyer had played over 19 minutes, let alone 24.

7. Shawn Thornton played 11:45, less than any other Bruin, yet led the team in hits (5) and shots (5).

8. Roloson has now won five straight Coliseum starts and is 6-0-2 in his eight starts as an Islander at the Coliseum. He's allowed only nine goals on 145 shots in those five starts (5-0-0, 1.80 GAA, 93.8%)

9. The Isles improve to 7-3-2 at home. They earned only sixteen points in their first 21 games last season.

10. The Isles lead the series two games to one, and five points to three. The final meeting will be on March 6th. The Isles have now won two straight over Boston after going 0-6-1 in the previous seven.

Up next: The Isles welcome Florida to the Coliseum on Monday.. The Isles won both Coliseum match-ups last season and are 5-1-1 in the last seven at home against the Panthers. Florida won the only previous meeting in a shoot-out, capping a game in which neither team could hold a two-goal lead.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

This morning, Elias confirmed that Tavares' five straight goals ties the club record.

It was set by Bryan Trottier (all in one game ) on February 13, 1982 and equaled by Mariusz Czerkawski in 1998.

Czerkawski scored the last two goals in 4-3 OT loss in Toronto on March 28 (against Felix Potvin),both Isles goals in a 5-2 loss to Washington on March 31,and the first goal in a 4-0 win over Tampa on April 1 (the first of three Isles shutouts over Tampa that April that did nothing but kill draft position)

Tavares' five straight come on the heels of Moulson's natural hat trick in Atlanta. The two have combined for the last eight Islander goals. So much for secondary scoring.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Jason Blake scored following a Mark Streit giveaway with just 4:05 to play to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over the Isles at the Air Canada Centre. The Blake goal spoiled a two-goal third period by John Tavares, who has now scored the Islanders' last five goals. On to the trick:

1. Toronto grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Francois Beauchamin and Ian White.

2. Tavares' two third period goals were both scored on the power play, giving him back-to-back two-goal games for the first time in his career. Tavares, who also scored the Isles' last goal in their win in Atlanta last week, has now tallied five straight Islander goals. (Bryan Trottier scored five consecutive goals in a February 13, 1982 Islander rout of the Flyers)

3. Blake's winning goal was only his 2nd in twelve career games against the Islanders. Blake, who had six shots on goal, scored 127 goals in 426 games as an Islander.

... a few more..

4. For the second straight night, Kyle Okposo assisted on both Islander goals and for the second straight night both goals were scored on a power-play. The Isles also scored on a 5-on-3 for the second straight game. Jeff Tambellini and Rob Schremp, the latter playing for only the 2nd time in the last 22 games, also earned assists.

5. Dwayne Roloson made 32 saves for the Isles while Vesa Toskala finished with 30 saves for the Leafs, who improve to 7-2-1 in their last ten (after opening the season 3-11-6).

6. This was the final game of a 5-game road trip (1-4-0) and of stretches where the Isles played 12 of 14 games and 14 of 17 games on the road. The Isles played as many games in Toronto (2) over the last 14 games as they played on Long Island. They were 6-9-2 over the last 17 and 5-7-2 over the last 14. The Isles have played 20 of their first 31 games on the road -- other than the 1992-1993 season, when the Isles opened with 20 of their first 33 on the road, the Isles had never played more than 20 of their first 35 games away from the Coliseum. The schedule now turns, as the Isles will play 8 of the next 10 at home, with the only two road games coming at Madison Square Garden.

7. After having a lead at some point in thirteen consecutive games, the Isles have not led at any point in the last three games (0-3-0). They have scored four goals in that stretch, all by Tavares, and all on the power play.

8. Other than his giveaway on the winning goal, Mark Streit had a strong game, with three shots, one hit and five blocked shots. Streit played a team-high 28:01.

9. Tavares now has 15 goals and 11 asssists, with eight goals and seven assists coming on the power play. He leads all rookies in at least six statistical categories (goals, points, power play goals, power play points, shots, and shooting percentage). Only two players in the entire league have more power play goals and points than Tavares , who has a point on 15 of the Islanders' 22 power play goals. Tavares also passed Matt Moulson for the team lead in goals; Moulson has 14. Tavares, by the way, is not close to Mike Bossy's rookie season pace. Bossy, who finished with 53 goals in his rookie season, scored goals 15 and 16 in the Islanders' 19th game.

10. The season series is now tied at one game each. The remaining two meetings are on Long Island: on December 23rd and March 14th.

Up next: The Isles finally return home as they face the Bruins on Saturday night. The Bruins have won three straight on Long Island and seven out of eight against the Isles (1-6-1). The Isles did win the last meeting, on November 16th in Boston.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Jason Blake scored following a Mark Streit giveaway with just 4:05 to play to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over the Isles at the Air Canada Centre. The Blake goal spoiled a two-goal third period by John Tavares, who has now scored the Islanders' last five goals. On to the trick:

1. Toronto grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Francois Beauchamin and Ian White.

2. Tavares' two third period goals were both scored on the power play, giving him back-to-back two-goal games for the first time in his career. Tavares, who also scored the Isles' last goal in their win in Atlanta last week, has now tallied five straight Islander goals. I can confirm that this is not a club record, but I can not confirm that he doesn't at least share the mark. (Bryan Trottier scored five consecutive goals in a February 13, 1982 Islander rout of the Flyers)

3. Blake's winning goal was only his 2nd in twelve career games against the Islanders. Blake, who had six shots on goal, scored 127 goals in 426 games as an Islander.

... a few more..

4. For the second straight night, Kyle Okposo assisted on both Islander goals and for the second straight night both goals were scored on a power-play. The Isles also scored on a 5-on-3 for the second straight game. Jeff Tambellini and Rob Schremp, the latter playing for only the 2nd time in the last 22 games, also earned assists.

5. Dwayne Roloson made 32 saves for the Isles while Vesa Toskala finished with 30 saves for the Leafs, who improve to 7-2-1 in their last ten (after opening the season 3-11-6).

6. This was the final game of a 5-game road trip (1-4-0) and of stretches where the Isles played 12 of 14 games and 14 of 17 games on the road. The Isles played as many games in Toronto (2) over the last 14 games as they played on Long Island.. They were 6-9-2 over the last 17 and 5-7-2 over the last 14. The Isles have played 20 of their first 31 games on the road -- other than the 1992-1993 season, when the Isles opened with 20 of their first 33 on the road, the Isles had never played more than 20 of their first 35 games away from the Coliseum. The schedule now turns, as the Isles will play 8 of the next 10 at home, with the only two road games coming at Madison Square Garden.

7. After having a lead at some point in thirteen consecutive games, the Isles have not led at any point in the last three games (0-3-0). They have scored four goals in that stretch, all by Tavares, and all on the power play.

8. Other than his giveaway on the winning goal, Mark Streit had a strong game, with three shots, one hit and five blocked shots. Streit played a team-high 28:01.

9. Tavares now has 15 goals and 11 asssists, with eight goals and seven assists coming on the power play. He leads all rookies in at least six statistical categories (goals, points, power play goals, power play points, shots, and shooting percentage). Only two players in the entire league have more power play goals and points than Tavares , who has a point on 15 of the Islanders' 22 power play goals. Tavares also passed Matt Moulson for the team lead in goals; Moulson has 14. Tavares, by the way, is not close to Mike Bossy's rookie season pace. Bossy, who finished with 53 goals in his rookie season, scored goals 15 and 16 in the Islanders' 19th game.

10. The season series is now tied at one game each. The remaining two meetings are on Long Island: on December 23rd and March 14th.

Up next: The Isles finally return home as they face the Bruins on Saturday night. The Bruins have won three straight on Long Island and seven out of eight against the Isles (1-6-1). The Isles did win the last meeting, on November 16th in Boston.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Developer Bruce Ratner has just released a report affirming his keen interest in attracting the New York Islanders to his planned Brooklyn Arena in the borough's downtown area.

Ratner's report, prepared by Convention, Sports, Leisure International of Plano, Texas to help sell bonds to build the arena, comes a week after Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, one of the most prominent backers of the Lighthouse Project, lost his re-election bid to Republican EdMangano.. The Lighthouse was to include a renovated Nassau Coliseum. During the campaign, Mangano was lukewarm about the Lighthouse Project.

Additionally, Lighthouse developers Charles Wang and Scott Rechler have been unhappy with what they see as the slow pace of the approval process for the Lighthouse.

"The New York Islanders could potentially become a tenant of the proposed area . . . moving from their current home of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum," the report states. The area, the report says, is currently designed to house the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

The report was part of a market analysis to help Goldman Sachs sell $500 million worth of bonds to investors to build the arena. The analysis said Brooklyn was "a healthy place" to build a sports arena.

"If built as planned, the arena would need to be retrofitted to accommodate the ice-making abilities the [National Hockey League] requires for its franchises," the report says.

Wang has threatened to move the Islanders, possibly to Kansas City, if the project is not approved.

John Meindl, president of Sportsbrandmedia Inc., a sports marketing company in Rockville Centre, said Rater "sees a window of opportunity" following Suozzi's loss. On his [Ratner's] part it's a brilliant move."

But, Meindl said, the Islanders - a woeful team for years now - might have difficulty attracting fans to downtown Brooklyn from Long Island.>> Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

I've mentioned this a couple of times before, but with Brodeur tying Terry Sawchuk's mark of 103 shutouts on Monday night, it came up again.

From USA Today:

<<As Brodeur ties shutout mark, here's one that got away

By Mike Brehm, USA TODAY

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur could have been crowned the NHL shutout king Monday instead of tying Terry Sawchuk's record of 103.

But he was denied a shot at a shutout in the 1996-97 season when backup Mike Dunham was inserted in a Nov. 9, 1996, game for 41 seconds in the third period of a 4-0 win against the New York Islanders. Brodeur had taken a shot off the shoulder before the coaching staff made the move. He has shut out the Islanders 10 times in his career.

Dunham needed to make 25 appearances that season or he would have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He appeared in 26 games, but a handful were less than a minute, including one of three seconds.

The Devils held onto Dunham's rights and withstood a players association grievance.

Shared shutouts don't count toward a goaltender's personal statistics, so Brodeur didn't get credit. At the time, he expressed disappointment, saying he didn't ask to be pulled.

>>

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

The Flyers had lost five straight and eight of nine coming into to tonight's game vs. the Isles. Make it eight out of ten, with both victories over their personal punching bags, the Islanders. On to the trick:

1. Mike Richards scored twice in the first period, Jeff Carter added a pair in the second period, and Claude Giroux added two goals in the third period for the Flyers.

2. John Tavares had both goals for the Islanders, but it was only enough to cut a 4-0 deficit in half. Tavares, who recorded his second two-goal game, matched his career high with his sixth two point game of the season. Tavares is showing signs of being a streaky scorer. He had three goals in his first five games, four goals in a three game stretch in mid November, and four goals in the last five games. Both of Tavares' goals were scored on the power play, giving him a team leading six pp goals on the season -- only five players in the NHL have scored more power play goals.

3. According to Versus' post-game show, it was only the fourth time in NHL history a game ended with four players each scoring twice for the only eight goals in the game. All four games ended with a 6-2 score.

...a few more...

4. Kimmo Timmonen, Danny Briere and Scott Hartnelll all had two assists for the Flyers while Kyle Okposo had a pair of helpers for the Islanders.

5. The Flyers scored three power play goals after being blanked in 19 attempts over the previous five games. Mark Streit was on ice for the other three goals and finished -3. Tavares' two power play goals matched the Isles' power play success in their previous 37 tries, over nine games. The Isles did allow a shorthanded goal (to Mike Richards) for the first time this season.

6. Brian Boucher made 22 saves as he beat the Islanders for the second time this season; he's 2-0 vs. the Islanders and 1-5 against the rest of the NHL. Martin Biron made 31 saves in suffering his second defeat to the Flyers this season. He's allowed six goals in each of his last two games and has lost four straight overall. It's the first time in his NHL career that he has allowed six goals or more in consecutive appearances.

7. The Isles have now played 19 of their first 30 (11-12-7) games on the road. It's the first time in club history that they've opened a season playing 19 of 30 on the road. They'll make it 20 of 31 tomorrow night, before the schedule flips the other way

8. Peter Laviolette wins his first game as the Flyer coach, in his third try. Laviolette is now 168-124-34 in his career.

9. Jeff Carter continues to terrorize the Islanders. He now has 31 points (13-18-31) in 30 career games against the Isles.

10. The Flyers lead the season series 2 games to 0. They have beaten the Islanders eight straight times at the Wachovia Center (0-7-1) and haven't beaten the Flyers in their last 12 meetings (0-9-3), dating back to a 4-3 Islander win at the Coliseum on February 12, 2008.

Up next: The Isles visit Toronto for the second time in less than three weeks on Wednesday night. Dwayne Roloson faced 61 shots, the most by a winning goalie in the NHL since 1981, in their first meeting. The Isles are 2-0-2 in their last four games against Toronto. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Monday, December 07, 2009

Mike Smith made 30 saves to record his 9th career shutout as the Lightning blanked the Isles 4-0 on Saturday night. The Isles are winless in Saturday road games in 2009, with one final chance coming on December 26th at Madison Square Garden. They are 1-15-5 over the last two years in Saturday road games. On to the trick:

1. It was clear early that this wasn't going to be the Isles' night. Ryan Malone dug the puck out of the pads of Dwayne Roloson just 1:35 into play to give Tampa an early lead; it was his 15th goal in 20 career games against the Isles. Steve Downie and Jeff Halpern scored power play goals for Tampa and Viktor Hedman converted a beautiful pass from Vinny Lecavalier for his first NHL goal. Malone, Downie and Halpern each extended their point streak to three games and Tampa broke a 4-game losing streak (0-3-1).

2. The Isles had a goal disallowed for a hand pass, and couldn't legally beat Smith. Special teams let the Isles down. The Bolts scored twice on three power plays, while the Isles failed on six power plays (including 1:21 on a 5-on-3).

3. The Isles played twice in Tampa in 2009 and didn't score a single goal. Mike McKenna, who is now playing for the Lowell Devils, blanked the Isles in February for the only shutout of his NHL career.

... a few more...

4. It's the second time this season that the Isles have been shutout; they were blanked in Buffalo last month. The Isles have been shutout seven times since Scott Gordon became their head coach, with all seven occurring on the road.

5. It's the first time in 14 games (dating back to the shutout in Buffalo) that the Isles did not lead at any point.

6. The Isles are now 1-2-0 on this three-game road trip. They are now twelve games into a stretch of fourteen games where they play only twice at home. The Isles are 5-5-2 in that stretch, including 4-4-2 on the road.

7. The Isles drop to 11-11-7 on the season. It's the 10th time this season that the Isles have been at NHL .500. The Isles have alternated wins and losses for the past two weeks; they have won consecutive games only once this season --when they won four straight to raise their record from 1-4-5 to 5-4-5.

8. Andrej Mezaros, Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier each had two assists for the Lightning. St. Louis played in his 336th consecutive streak -- longest active streak for an Eastern Conference player, and 6th longest current streak overall. Lecavalier now has 38 points in 39 career games against the Isles.

9. The top pick in the last two NHL drafts were both held without points. Steven Stamkos is tied for the most goals in the NHL since February 17th while Tavares continues to lead all rookies in both goals and points.

10. The Lightning lead the series 1-0-0; three meetings remain, with the next scheduled for December 21st on Long Island. The series will conclude with a pair of games nine days apart in early February. The Isles have now faced every Eastern Conference team at least once this season.

Up next: The Isles travel to Philadelphia for the first time this season on Tuesday. It's the first of two nationally-televised Islander games this season; both of them will be in Philadelphia. The Flyers have had the Isles' number for some time. The Isles have lost seven straight at the Wachovia Center (0-6-1) and haven't beaten the Flyers in their last 11 meetings (0-8-3), dating back to a 4-3 Islander win at the Coliseum on February 12, 2008. The game will be telecast on Versus (unless you have DirecTV, which has still not settled their dispute with the NHL's cable network); Chris King will have a REAL radio broadcast (not a simulcast) on WMJC 94.3FM.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Matt Moulson scored three consecutive goals as the Islanders rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Atlanta 4-1 at Philips Arena on Thursday niight. On to the trick:

1. Vyasckeslav Kozlov scored Atlanta's only tally at 9:01 of the first period, and the Thrasher carried that lead into the intermission. It was the only goal allowed by Dwayne Roloson, who made 26 saves to win his third straight start and improved to 9-2-5 on the season. Kozlov also extended his consecutive game streak to a Thrasher-record 227 games.

2. The rest of the game belonged to Matt Moulson, who tied the game 1:47 into the second period with a goal on a slap shot. He gave the Islanders the lead with the game-winning goal, on the power play, later in the second period, before completing his hat trick and essentially putting the game out of reach 13:09 into the third. Those were the only goals allowed by Ondrej Pavelec, who made 23 saves.

3. John Tavares added an empty-netter with less than a second to play to seal the victory. Tavares continues to lead all NHL rookies with 11 goals and 22 points.

... a few more...

4. Trent Hunter assisted on Moulson's first two goals, while Kyle Okposo assisted on the second and third tally. Mark Streit assisted on the third goal and finished +3.

5. Moulson joins Jeff Tambellini as Islanders with hat tricks this season. League-wide, it was the 22nd hat trick, and each has been in a winning effort for their team. It's the first time in three seasons that the Islanders have had two hat tricks (Kozlov, Blake and Blake in 2006-07) and the first natural hat trick by an Islander since Jason Blake did so at Madison Square Garden on December 19, 2006. It's the second hat trick that the Isles have ever had against the Thrashers; Jason Blake turned the trick against Atlanta at the Coliseum in 2003.

6. The Islander climb back over NHL .500 at 11-10-7. They have 29 points in 28 games; they didn't reach 29 points last season until an OT loss to the Caps on MLK Day "raised" their record to 12-29-5.

7. With 14 goals, Moulson moves into a tie for 15th place in NHL goal scoring. He has scored 14 goals in 28 games for the Islanders after scoring just six times in 29 games for Los Angeles over parts of two seasons. With 14 goals and 8 assists (14-8), he's also in the running for the Cy Young Award - -his last six points have all been goals. Moulson is only four goals behind Kyle Okposo's total of 18 from last season, when Okposo led the squad the goals.

8. It was a bad night for another superstar against the Islanders, as Ilya Kovalchuk went -3, although he did had six shots on goal. Maxim Afinogenov also was -3 and the Islanders snapped his four game point streak.

9. The Islanders snapped several Thrasher streaks; Atlanta had won 4 straight games, had earned points in five straight, had won all 10 games that they scored first and all seven games that they led after one period. The Isles also outscored the Thrashers 2-0 in the third period, which is pretty impressive considering Atlanta had outscored their opponents 38-13 in the third period entering the game.

10. The Isles have won both games of the season series and have now beaten the Thrashers in three straight games. The Isles now own two regulation wins over Atltanta and only five other regulation wins. With their win , the Isles moved into 3rd place in the Atlantic, two points ahead of both the Rangers and Flyers. It's the first time that they have been ahead of the Rangers since the morning of January 24, 2008. A Ranger win and Islander loss that evening knotted the teams with 54 points. The Isles had not led the Rangers in points since then.

Uo next: The Isles wwill play the middle game of this five game road trip on Satruday night in Tampa against the Lightning. It's the first meeting of the season of the squads and will match #1 overall draft pick John Tavares and #2 overall Viktor Hedman. The Isles won three out of four last season, including an overtime win in Tampa last October 16 (Trent Hunter had the OT goal). Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

During the broadcast tonight, Howie made mention to Moulson's near hat trick in Boston 2 1/2 weeks ago. When Moulson didn't deflect what would have been his third goal of the game, it kept alive an Islander streak -- no Islander has ever scored a hat trick in Boston.

Moulson did become the first Islander to ever record a hat trick in Atlanta against the Thrashers tonight--but he's not the first Islander to do so in Atlanta (despite what the Isles' media guide shows in one place).

Mike Bossy had a hat trick in Atlanta on December 28, 1978. Bossy scored three goals, all in the second period, in a 10-4 Isles win. (It's the first of only two road games in Islander history where they've reached double digits.) It's correct on the all-time hat trick list in the Isles guide, but incorrect on the Atlanta/Calgary page.

Moulson is the second Islander to record a hat trick this season, joining Jeff Tambellini. It's the first time in three seasons that the Isles have had multiple hat tricks in a season; Bergenheim had the only one last year and Guerin the only one in the season before that.

Moulson's three goals were scored consecutively. It's the first natural hat trick for the Islanders since Jason Blake did it at Madison Square Garden on December 19, 2006.

According to numbers compiled by Stats, Inc., Moulson is the 22nd player to score a hat trick this season. All 22 have been in winning efforts for their team.

With their win tonight, the Isles move into 3rd place in the Atlantic, two points ahead of both the Rangers and Flyers. They also moved into eighth place in the East. It's the first time that they have been ahead of the Rangers in the standings in the Gordon era. You have to go back to the morning of January 24, 2008 to find the last time. A Ranger win and Islander loss that evening knotted the teams with 54 points. The Isles had not led the Rangers in points since then.

I'll have more on this win tomorrow. Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Sunday, November 29, 2009

For fifty minutes, the Islanders competed with the Devils. For the final ten minutes, though, the Devils played with the Islanders, scoring four times to defeat the Isles 6-1 at The Rock. On to the trick:

1.. Once again, the Isles started well, as Richard Park opened the scoring midway through the first. Park now has two goals on the season: one in the final game of October and one in the final game of November. Watch out Ottawa on New Year's Eve! It was Park's third career goal agaisnt the Devils; the other two came on Easter Sunday 2007 in a playoff-clinching perfoirmance for the Islanders. Tim Jackman assisted on the goal--his first assist of the season. Jackman's assist leaves Jerrod Smithson, David Koci and Brad Richardson as the players who have appeared in the most NHL Games this season (25) without recording an assist.

2. Mike Mottau and Brian Rolston scored in the second period to give New Jersey the lead. Mottau's goal was his first in 2009, and snapped a 68-game scoreless streak, dating back to New Year's Eve. It was the 6th goal in his 202 game NHL career.

3. The Devils blew the game open with three goals in a 2:02 stretch as Patrik Elias, Zach Parise and Rolston all scored. Elias added his second goal in the final minute to complete his second career 4-point game. Rolston also finished with four points. The Isles have now been outscored on the season 32-17 in the third period while the Devs have outscored their opponents 28-18 in the third period.

...a few more....

4. Sean Bergenheim also assisted on Park's goal, giving him four points in the last four games, but Trent Hunter's point streak ended at a career high of 9. Parise's goal extended his streak to ten games. He would have looked pretty good in orange, white and blue, wouldn't he? Kyle Okposo played in his 100th NHL game, but was -2.

5. The skating record book, Martin Brodeur, extended two NHL records, by winning his 571st game, and raising his minute total to 60,278:42. Brodeur, who is now eight games behind Patrick Roy's NHL record of 1,029 games played in goal, made 22 saves as he remains one shutout behind Terry Sawchuk's career record of 103. Marty Biron finished with 36 saves as once again the Islanders did not score when he played. Biron had allowed three goals or less in each of his last seven starts but is now 2-8-2 on the season.

6. The Islanders finish the month 6-6-2, which is hard to believe when you realize that the Isles were shutout in Buffalo on November 4, but had the lead at some point in all of the other thirteen games this month.

7. The Isles had only four shots in the third period, when they were outshot 16-4. Ignoring their strong performance in the third period against Pittsburgh, the Isles totaled nine third period shots in theirother three games this week.

8. The Devils scored twice on three opportunities in only 2:32 of power play; the Isles had killed 23 of 25 coming into the game. The Isles went 0-4 in 8:00 of power play time.

9. The Devils improve to 11-0-0 when they lead after two periods. New Jersey also remains a perfect 5-0-0 when leading after one period. The Isles, on the other hand, dropped to 5-4-3 when leading after one period. They are 8-1-3 when leading after two periods.

10. New Jersey leads the season series two games to none, and four points to zero. The Isles drop to 0-5 in their last five trips to Newark; they've scored just seven goals in the five games. The next three meetings of the season series are on Long Island, including two in a six-game span in January.

Up next: This is the first of five consecutive road games for the Isles. The trip continues on Thursday in Atlanta, with stops in Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Toronto also on this trip. The Islanders dominated the Thrashers 6-4 on November 7th at the Coliseum in the only previous meeting this season.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Friday, November 27, 2009

Saturday is the 30th anniversary of Billy Smith becoming the first goalie in NHL history to be credited with a goal.

On November 28, 1979, the Isles trailed Colorado 4-3 in the third period when the Isles were called for a delayed penalty. Colorado defensemen Rob Ramage put the puck into his own goal and the goal was credited to the last Islander to touch the puck, originally believed to be Dave Lewis. After the game, television replays showed that Smith was the last Islander to touch the puck.

A few things you might not know:

1. Smith didn't start the game; he replaced Chico Resch late in the 2nd period after the Rockies scored twice in a minutes' time. 2. The goal tied the game and thus got Chico "off the hook". Ron Delorme scored on the ensuing power play and the Rockies added two empty-netters for a 7-4 victory, thus making Smith the losing goaltender.3. It was the first of two wins for the Colorado Rockies over the Islanders (also done on December 4, 1980; 2-19-3 overall).4. The goalie who vacated the Colorado net was Bill McKenzie.5. It was the final game of Billy Harris' 576 consecutive-game streak. Harris had played in every game in club history to that point, but was scratched for the team's next game, in Edmonton, two night later. Duane Sutter was brought in from Lethridge to replace Harris.6.The loss dropped the Isles' record to 6-10-4 --the first time since Arbour's rookie season as coach (1973-74) that the Isles were 4 games under .500 The team wouldn't reach .500 until January 8th, but would sip from the Stanley Cup 4 1/2 months later.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Sean Bergeheim and John Tavares scored third period goals as the Isles rallied to defeat the Penguins 3-2. On to the trick:

1. Josh Bailey and Evgeny Malkin traded first period goals. Bailey's goal gave the Islanders four players with at least seven goals before Malkin became just the second Penguin to reach the 10 goal mark. Mark Streit and Freddy Meyer assisted on the Bailey goal. Streit has an assist in three straight games while Meyer tied a career high with two assists in the game.

2. Matt Cooke scored on a rebound 7:12 into the second period to give the Penguins the lead but the game changed later in the session when the Penguins failed to capitalize on 5:05 of consecutive power play, including a 55 second 5-on-3. The Pens went 0-5 on the power-play and are 4-55 in their last fourteen games; they're also 0-8 against the Islanders this season. The Isles have killed 23 of 25 over the last six games.

3. Sean Bergenheim evened the score just 84 seconds into the third period, setting the stage for John Tavares. Taveres, who had recorded the first goal, assist and point of his career against the Penguins on October 3rd, scored the winner with 6:12 to play. He leads all rookies with 10 goals and 21 points. The Isles outscored the Pens 2-0 after having been outscored 28-15 in the third period so far this season.

... a few more...

4. Dwayne Roloson improved to 8-2-5, facing only 21 shots one game after facing 61. The Isles bombarded Brent Johnson with 37 shots, including 18 in the third period.

5. Trent Hunter extended his point streak to nine games. He has a single point in each game. Kyle Okposo broke a five-game drought with an assist on the winning goal.

6. Talk about a reversal of fortune-- the Pens were 11-1 when leading after two periods while the Isles were 0-7-3 when trailing after two. It was only the second time all season that the Penguins dropped a 1-goal game.

7. Nate Thompson had another strong game, even though four of his five shots missed the net. He also was involved in an altercation with Jordan Staal that landed the Penguin 17 penalty minutes early in the third period. Seven of the last nine Isles games have been decided by one goal.

8. The Islanders ended the month 3-1-0 at home. They are 6-1-1 in their last eight at home and 6-3-2 for the season on home ice. Only twice in the last 21 seasons have the Isles recorded more points in their first 11 home games than the 14 that they have this season. They had 17 in 2001-02 and 16 two season s ago.

9. The Isles contained Sidney Crosby as he has only one shot on goal and was -2. Crosby did do well on draws, winning 14 of 23.

10. The Isles lead the season series three points to two after earning a loser point on Opening Night; the series is tied at a game each. It was the Isles first regulation win over he Penguins since March 24, 2008. The next three meetings will be in Pittsburgh before the teams close the regular season against each other on April 11th.

Up next: The Isles play the back end of the back-to-backs on Saturday afternoon in New Jersey. The Devils lead the series 1-0 and have beaten the Isles four stragiht times in Newark, with the Isles scoring a total of six goals.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

1. Matt Moulson, John Tavares and yes, even Jeff Tambellini have more goals (11 - 9 - 7, respectively) than any Penguin not named Sidney Crosby. The Kid has 12. Five Penguins, including Bill Guerin and Evgeny Malkin, have scored six goals.

2. The Isles are 9-9-7 this season. However, their opponents are 16-5-4 against the Isles -- a record better than any NHL team. (16 wins = 9 Isles losses + 7 loser points, etc.)

3. Roloson and Biron have almost identical stats: Roloson is 2.86 GAA and 91.6 save percentage while Biron is 2.78/91.3%, but Roloson is 7-2-5 while Biron is 2-7-2.

4. The Pens are 17-8-0. Seven of their eight losses (and six of their wins) have been by three goals or more. They are 10-1-0 in one-goal games, with a 2-1 Halloween loss to Minnesota being their only defeat by a single goal. They've gone to extra time six times this season, winning twice in overtime and four times in shootouts.

5. The Penguins have taken 124 more shots than their opponents while the Isles have taken 100 shots fewer than their opponents. Goal totals are remarkably similar. Pens 73, Opps 69. Isles 67 Opps 72.

6. Pittsburgh is 26-2-2 under Dan Bylsma when they score first. The Isles are 7-4-3 this season when they score first.

7. Trent Hunter enters play as one of 4 NHL'ers with 8 game point streaks (Mike Green, Zach Parise and Marian Gaborik are the others). Corey Perry, who has a point in 16 straight is the only player with a longer current streak. Hunter's streak is the longest of his career.Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Thursday, November 26, 2009

When the Islanders are able to maintain the same intensity for 60 minutes, they may very well become a good team. They are not there just yet, as they once again could not hold a lead, and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Flyers.. On to the trick:

1. Trent Hunter scored to give the Isles the lead on a first period power play. The goal extended his point streak to eight straight games; only Cory Perry of Anaheim has a longer current streak. John Tavares and Mark Streit assisted on the goal; it was Tavares' first point in five games and gave him his 20th point -- tops among NHL rookies.. 11 of Tavares' points have come on the power-play; he has a point on 11 of the Isles' 17 power-play goals this season.

2. Mike Richards got the Flyers even on the power play late in the second period; Scott Hartnell added the winner with just 5:27 to play.RIchards' goal came on the Flyers' only power play; it's the second time in the last three home games that the Isles have not had a successful penalty kill (Edmonton did not have a power play in the November 2nd game).

3. Martin Biron made 26 saves but suffered his 9th loss in 11 decisions (2-7-2). The Isles have scored two goals or less in all but two of his starts.

...a few more...

4. The Isles dominated territorily throughout the game and the face-off circle through two periods. Overall, there were 33 face-offs in the Flyers zone and only 19 in the Isles' zone. The Isles won 37 of 62 faceoffs; John Tavares had a strong game in the circle, winning 9 of 12.

5. Brian Boucher made 28 saves for the Flyers, who have now won eleven straight over the Isles, including three in overtime/shootouts. Six of those games were at the Coliseum, equalling the Isles' longest home winless streak against Philadelphia, set between 1973 and 1975.

6. The Isles have lost three straight Thanksgiving Eve games. The Isles have had the lead at some point in every game this month except their shutout loss in Buffalo, yet they are only 5-5-2 this month.

7. The loss ends a 4-game home winning streak and a 6-game home point streak (5-0-1). The Isles drop to 4-3-3 on the season at home; they have scored only three goals in their three regulation losses at home. They have led at some point in nine of the ten games (all except the 2-1 loss on Columbus Day to Los Angeles).

8. The Isles have won only half of the games that they have scored first (7-4-3); they have lost 11 of their 15 one-goal games (4-4-7). The Isles are also now 5-3-3 when they lead after one period. The Leafs are the only team that has won a smaller percentage of the games that they have led after one period and of games decided by a single goal.

9.. The Isles have now been outscored 28-15 in the third period, and have been outshot 282-204. The -13 goal differential in the period equals Columbus for the worst in the NHL. The Isles had only one shot in the third period, after having ony four in Toronto in the third period on Monday. They have been outshot by a combined 34-5 over the two games.

10. The Flyers lead the season series 1 game to 0. This was the first of 6 meetings on the season and the first of three meetings between the teams in 33 days.

Up next: The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins visit Long Island on Friday afternoon at 2:00. Pittsburgh leads the season series 1 game to 0 and 2 points to 1, having defeated the Isles in the Islanders' opener in a shootout. The Isles are 7-3-3 in their last 13 home games against the Pens.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick